If Only
by AshleyBelleTheGinger
Summary: If only life wasn't a novel with the end ripped out. If only love didn't end. If only betrayal didn't sting so much. Cat Valentine has no clue what is happening to her. All she wants is answers...
1. Prologue

Prologue

Cat Valentine led a very simple life. She got good grades in school (even though most people thought she was really ditzy), she was a very nice person, and she was happy. That all changed the day she met Robbie Shapiro at her high school, Hollywood Arts. When she first started talking to him, she thought he was just an awkward boy. He was not.

It started as a simple conversation.

It would not be simple soon enough.

Cat walked up to her normal lunch table where her friends were sitting, eating and laughing. Cat's best friend, Jade West, was sitting on her boyfriend Beck Oliver's lap. Cat's "bear buddy", Andre Harris, was watching Beck tickle Jade with an amused expression on his face. Andre was also Cat's secret crush. Cat ordered her food from the Grub Truck and bounced over to their table. "Hey, Andre!" she said. "Sup, Lil Red?" Cat blushed. She loved when Andre called her that. She squeezed in between Beck and Andre as Jade fell off of Beck's lap. As the laughter died down, their friend Tori Vega walked up with a guy they'd never seen before. "Hey guys this is Robbie Shapiro. He's new at Hollywood Arts," she chirped. "Hi hi!" Cat chattered. "Whatever," Jade grumbled. "Sup," Andre said, slinging his arm around Cat's shoulders. "Yeah, I've seen him around before. You're the one with the puppet, right?" Beck smiled. Jade snickered. A dark look shadowed Robbie's face. "He's not a puppet," he spits. Cat frowned. She didn't understand why he was so rude. "Meow! You're a grumpy sourpuss, aren't you?" Jade chuckled. Tori rolled her eyes. "Jade, leave Robbie alone. He's only been here for a week and he doesn't need his entire school year ruined by the Wicked Witch of the West!" she hissed. "Guys, stop fighting! I would like to be able to eat my lunch without having to see you guys tearing each other's throats out!" Cat growled. Andre smirked. Jade, Beck, Andre and Cat all exchanged a look, then stood up. "Where are you guys going?" Tori asked, frowning. "To see if Sikowitz needs any help," Beck explains. "And anyway, Vega, it's none of your business, so wazz off!" Jade snarls. "Gank," Tori sneers. "Takes one to know one," Jade shot back, then she and the others turned and walked away.

"Sorry about that. They can be irritating sometimes," Tori said. Robbie shook his head. "It's alright. Everyone has a bad day sometimes." Tori smiled. She thought Robbie was a very nice person and wanted to get to know him better. Even though she didn't know anything about him, or his past, she wanted to look away from that and just focus on the positive side. They started talking about their hobbies and what they liked to do in their spare time when Robbie brought up the subject of bullying. "People don't understand me. They think I'm mean or disturbing but I'm really not. And that Cat girl, what's her problem? She looked at me like I was her worst nightmare." Tori rolled her eyes. "She just didn't like when you yelled at Beck. She doesn't like when people get violent." "Well, I'm going to have to change that," he said in a cryptic way, then picked up his things and went to sneakily follow Cat. Tori sat there, trying to figure what the heck had just happened, when she realized that Robbie was going to try to hurt Cat, and quickly texted Andre to warn him.

Andre never got that text.

He had no idea what Robbie was planning to do.

Cat and the others walked into Sikowitz's classroom. She was just glad to get Jade away from Tori. The tension between those two was quite noticeable. Sikowitz looked surprised to see them. "Sikowitz, this is getting so boring. Do you have any group extra credit projects we can do to keep us busy?" Jade complained. "Certainly, Miss West. But no groups. You may work alone or with a partner. What you need to do is make a short film about what goes on in your life. I will show your films in the class that you all are in. But here's the catch." Sikowitz turned to the cubby shelf and picked up an oven mitt. "It must either be due on" he glanced at one side, "Last Tuesday, or this Friday," he flipped the oven mitt over. "That only gives us four days!" Andre protested. "The you'd best start working, Mister Harris," Sikowitz chuckled. Miffed, the gang left the room. "Beck and I are working together on the project," Jade told Cat. "Kay kay! I'll probably work alone," Cat replied. Unbeknownst to her, Andre looked disappointed. Beck and Jade walked away holding hands. "So you're working alone?" Andre shuffled his feet. Cat knew what he was getting at. "Do you want to work with me, Andre?" she asked shyly. Andre broke out into a huge grin. "Of course I do."

Cat was lounging on the couch in her living room eating ice cream when the doorbell rang. Cat's heart fluttered. The sound of the doorbell echoed through the empty house. Her parents had taken her brother to his "special doctor" in Oregon and they wouldn't be back for a few days. Cat jumped up and scampered to the door. She let Andre in and closed the door and locked it. "Where are your parents?" he asked, frowning. "In Oregon with my brother. He had to see his 'special doctor'," Cat chirped. Andre collapsed on the couch and sighed. "So how are we going to do this project? Four days is such a short time!" Andre chuckled at her cute frustrated face. "Don't worry about it right now. Come sit with me, bear buddy," he patted the seat next to him. "Kay kay." she giggled. She plopped down beside him and he smiled at her. She blushed and looked away. "What's your deal, Cat? You never talk to me anymore. You just look away," Andre pouts. "Sorry. I've just been distracted with…stuff." She blushed even deeper. "Tell me," Andre leaned closed to her. "Well, there's this guy that I really like but I know he doesn't like me like that. I just wish things were a little easier, you know? I don't like not knowing what I'm really feeling." Andre was surprised. "Never heard you say so much, bear buddy." "What should I do, Andre? I feel so stupid." Andre had a lot of things he wanted to say but he wanted to make sure he knew who she was talking about. "So do I get to know the mystery guy's name?" Andre smirked, knowing Cat probably wouldn't tell him. Cat suddenly stood and hurried into the kitchen, searching for something. "What are you doing?" She held up a finger and continued searching. She finally pulled out a notepad and pen and bounced back to the couch. She scribbled something down, tore the sheet off, and handed it to Andre. He glanced down at the writing. It said "you". "What about me?" he asked. Cat rolled her eyes and scribbled some more. She tore it off and held it in front of him. It said "you know what I'm talking about". He furrowed his eyebrows, looking confused. Then he grinned. Cat looked worried. "Of course I like you that way, silly girl. You're amazing," Andre breathed. Cat sighed, relief flooding her insides. Andre wrapped his arms around Cat's waist and pulled her close. She melted into his warm embrace, then suddenly pulled away. "But I thought you and Tori had a thing," she said timidly. "We're just friends, bear buddy. Don't worry about it."

Cat felt excited for school the next day. She even did her makeup differently, putting more on than she usually wears. She braided her mid-back length red hair, then went to her closet. She picked out a gray tank top with a gray form-slimming flowy top with ribbon that ties in the back, as well as black skinny jeans. She called Jade to make sure she could still give Cat a ride and went outside to wait on the front porch.

The first three periods of the school day passed quickly, and soon it was time for lunch. Cat ordered her food from the Grub Truck and headed to her table. To her surprise, Andre wasn't there. Tori, Robbie, Beck, and Jade were there, though. Cat sat down next to Jade. "Hi Jadey!" she squealed, hugging her best friend. "Hey, Kit-Kat," Jade replied tiredly. "Are you okay?" Cat said, sounding cutely worried. "Yeah, just didn't get much sleep last night." "Aww, I hope you feel better soon!" Jade couldn't help but smile at that. Cat was just so sweet. Cat glanced around the café again, finally spotting Andre. She turned back before he could see her. Before she knew it, Andre placed his hands on either side of her petite waist and squeezed. She squeaked and turned around. Her eyes lit up. "Bear buddy!" He picked her up and twirled her around. "Someone looks happy. Are you guys dating?" Tori said. Cat looked at Andre for confirmation. He reached for her hand and entwined their fingers. "Absolutely," he told Tori. Cat turned back to her food and was trying to eat when she noticed that Andre was staring at her. "What? Do I have something on my face?" she said, panicky. "Just a beautiful smile," Andre whispered. He pressed his lips to her cheek and let them linger there before pulling away.

Fourth period was Sikowitz's class, the only class Cat had with Andre this semester. She was disappointed when she found out that Robbie was going to be in their class. She didn't really like Robbie all that much. He was kind of disturbing. She walked into fourth period that day and stopped cold when she saw that someone was sitting in her seat. Robbie.

"Hi, Robbie," she said timidly. "Hello, Cat," Robbie replied coldly. "Umm, you're sitting in my seat." "It's my seat now," Robbie snapped. Cat looked around the room, almost forgetting it was empty except for her and Robbie. "Is there a problem, Cat?" "No, I'm just not used to people being mean to me," she said. "Well, get used to it!" he yelled. He abruptly stood up and walked menacingly towards her. Cat backed up slowly, frightened by what he might do. She backed away until she hit a wall. He towered over her. She pleaded, "Robbie please don't-" but she was cut off when he slapped her hard across the face. Tears welled up in her eyes as she pressed her hand to her swelling cheek. Robbie spit on the ground at her feet, then turned around and marched out, shoving Andre out of his way. Andre looked from him to Cat, concerned. "Are you okay?" he said softly, but he didn't get an answer because Cat pushed past him and ran to the bathroom.

Cat stayed in the bathroom for over an hour fixing her makeup and trying to make the swelling in her cheek go down. Finally, she looked normal again, and she headed back to Sikowitz's classroom. Everyone turned to look at her when she opened the door but Sikowitz didn't stop his lecture. She slid into the seat next to Andre and tried to stop sniffling. She pulled her notebook out of her bag and wrote Andre a note telling him everything that had happened. She passed it to him while looking at Robbie, making sure he wasn't watching her.

School didn't feel so safe anymore.


	2. Chapter 1: Hope

Chapter 1

Andre was completely silent as he read the note. Cat kept glancing up to make sure Robbie wasn't watching her like he'd been doing. She suddenly started to feel like she didn't matter. As if she was the most insignificant thing in the universe. Andre finished reading the note and turned to Cat. He said nothing, only wrapped his arms around her and held her like he never had before. "I won't let him hurt you again, bear buddy, okay? I'm here for you." She looked away. "Look at me." She turned back. "I won't let you go, Cat, I promise. I want you to be happy and not have to worry about anything when I'm around," Andre rubbed her back. Cat smiled, realizing that she could be herself with Andre.

 **THREE MONTHS LATER**

A few months had passed with nothing eventful happening with Robbie. Sikowitz had told them he was showing their movie in class that day, and Cat was extremely excited. She and Andre were driving to school together and Cat was practically bouncing in her seat. Andre chuckled at his hyper girlfriend as he pulled into the Hollywood Arts parking lot and they got out. Cat started singing "It's Not Christmas Without You" and Andre joined in. They walked into school holding hands and singing. They passed the creative lockers in the main hallway and Andre started dancing, twirling Cat as she giggled. Students around them stopped and stared. People started clapping He dipped her in the middle of the hallway and kissed her. Her cheeks were flushed with happiness as he pulled her back into his arms. Jade and Beck came to them, smiling like idiots. "You're so weird," Jade said fondly. "What brought that on?" Cat breathlessly asked Andre. "I wanted to share my good mood with my beautiful girlfriend," he said, squeezing her waist. "Come on, let's go find some coffee."

Cat tried a sip of Andre's coffee and made a disgusted face. "How do you drink that? So nasty," she wrinkled her nose. Andre shook his head at her, stifling a laugh, when suddenly his face turned dark. "What is it?" she asked, frightened. He just pointed behind her. She whirled around and gasped. Robbie and Tori were walking towards their table. Tori was looking around at the new renovations, but Robbie was looking intently at Cat and Andre. "Let's get out of here," he whispered into her ear and pulled her away. When they got to the main hallway Cat lost her balance, but Andre caught her and lifted her off the ground. She squealed like a stuck pig and said, "Yay, I'm a kite!" Andre laughed and set her down as the get-to-class bell was ringing. "See you at lunch, Lil Red," Andre said softly, gently squeezing her before walking away.

Tori was incredibly jealous of Cat and Andre's relationship. Why did they get to have it so easy? They never fought, never got angry with each other. Of course, it helps that Cat rarely ever gets angry at anybody, even Robbie, who Tori knew freaked Cat out. She didn't want to hang out with him, but he told her all his secrets and he wouldn't let her go away. He threatened to fatally injure Cat if she didn't stay his friend. She was always trying to get away from Robbie, even for a minute. However, Tori's first class was Choir, and Cat had just transferred into her class. Robbie was not in this class, as it was a class only for girls. The teacher was late today, so Tori had a chance to tell Cat everything. Poor girl looked like she was going to pass out at any given moment. She then told herself to stop being so jealous of Cat. It wasn't Cat's fault that some people had easier relationships than others. Being jealous was awfully childish, anyway. "So, Robbie's basically blackmailing you?" "Unfortunately, yeah. I don't know what to do!" Tori felt tears welling up in her eyes. Cat pulled her into a tight hug. It was only a little bit awkward because Cat was so little and Tori was much taller than her. Tori didn't understand why Robbie would want to hurt Cat. She was so sweet and innocent. "Tori, I think we need to go to Lane with this. He can help us, I know he can," Cat's sweet face adopted an earnest look. Tori nodded. She needed help and she knew it.

They spent the next forty-five minutes in the guidance office. Afterwards, Lane wanted them to stay and talk more after he sent a message to Robbie's teacher saying he needed Robbie in the office. Tori adamantly refused because she and Cat did not want to be anywhere near Robbie when he got angry. They scurried out of the office, but instead of heading to the classroom, Cat pulled her into the bathroom. "Tori, you'll be okay. Lane is going to fix it. Take some deep breaths and try to calm down, alright? Robbie can't control us anymore." Tori smiled slightly. She knew she couldn't find a better friend than Cat. Cat always knew how to make her feel better. "Now I know why Andre is so into you," Tori whispered. "Why?" Cat asked, cocking her head. "You're so sweet and pure. I'm lucky I have you in my life. Anyone would be lucky to know you. Andre is the luckiest guy in the world. He gets you all to himself." Cat was touched. "That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," she said, tears shining in her chocolate brown eyes. Tori held tightly onto to Cat, relieved that this mess with Robbie was finally over.

Tori and Cat walked to their lunch table with their food. Cat was giggling at a joke Tori had just told her about a giraffe and a panda. As they got nearer to their table, Tori nudged Cat. "Look," she said softly. Robbie was nowhere to be seen. Andre was playing a game on his phone while waiting for Cat. As they came close, he looked up and broke into a huge grin when he saw her. "Hey, baby." He pulled her onto his lap and held her close. "Are you coming over later? My parents are gone and I get so lonely." "Of course I will. Anything for you, bear buddy," he kissed her cheek. Cat smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

Cat walked into fourth period late as Sikowitz was starting up her and Andre's movie. "Ah, Cat! So glad you could join us today." Sikowitz raised his eyebrows for her explanation. "Sorry, Sikowitz. My locker wouldn't open. Someone put craft glue on it so I couldn't get my books," Cat said, distraught. "It's alright, Cat, just sit down so we can see the wonderful movie you and Andre made." Cat grinned.

" _Is the camera recording yet?" "I don't know." "Too bad, I'm gonna do it anyway!" Cat adjusted herself in the recliner. "HI!" she said to the camera. "I'm Cat and I like to sing!" she started to sing "Give It Up" solo until Andre joined in. They sang together for a few minutes. "I'm Andre and I love acting and singing and dancing."_

 _The movie continued to capture moments in their lives describing their personalities, hobbies, and how they live._ In total the movie was about an hour long, and when it was over, the entire class gave them a standing ovation. Everyone came to congratulate them on a job well done. Cat was giggling the entire time. Andre smiled at his amazing girlfriend.

"Come on, just put the movie in and come snuggle with me!" "Patience, Andre! Sometimes you're such a little kid, I swear!" "Oh, really? We'll see about that!" Cat squealed as Andre scooped her up and flung her onto the couch and started tickling her. Cat's adorable laugh rang across the empty house as she tried to defend herself. "Okay, I give up!" Cat squeaked. They finally settled down a few minutes later when the movie started. They watched the entirety of My Big Fat Greek Wedding and laughed until they couldn't breathe. Andre played with Cat's hair before pulling away and sitting up. Cat snuggled into him and sighed a happy sigh. "Cat?" "Mmm?" "Can I tell you a secret?" "Yeah." "I love you." She looked up at him with her sweet face and smiled. "I love you too." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

They fell asleep entwined together on that sofa.


	3. Chapter 2: Faith

Chapter 2

Tori P.O.V

I woke up this morning to the weirdest sound I have ever heard. It sounded like someone had stepped on an iguana. (Don't ask how I know what that sounds like.) And considering I live with my sister Trina, that's saying a lot. I throw the midnight blue duvet off and slide my feet into my plum colored slippers. I heave a sigh of frustration as I head down the stairs, only to find that the weird sound did, in fact, come from Trina. I roll my eyes. Trina often comes downstairs to sleep because she has some weird sleep disorder that makes her break out in an allergic reaction to her mattress. I lean over the back of the couch and shake her awake. "Trina! Can you keep your weird iguana noises down? I'm trying to sleep here!" Trina shakes me off as I see a brief, but bright, flash of green light out of the corner of my eye. I turn to the glass back door and squint to see outside in the darkened backyard. I pull my green PearPhone XT out of my sweatpants pocket and glance at the enlarged digital time display. 2:39 AM. Great. Trina just had to wake me up this early, didn't she? I spin the lock, hearing it click, and open the door. The potted plant in the corner slightly waddles and I head over there to see. A tall, lanky figure stands up and I have to squint to see as the porch light snaps on. "Is that...? Robbie?!" Robbie's dark eyes glint in the bright orange-ish light. "What are you doing here?" I lower my voice. He glares at me. "Why would you get me suspended from school? I just wanted a friend." "Oh, don't play the pity card with me. I can see right through your little awkward-boy persona. I told Lane because you were blackmailing me. The only reason I wanted to be your friend was because I thought you were nice when I first met you. But you're not." Robbie's eyes pleaded with me. "But don't you see, Tori? All I want is to be with you. You're something different." I raised my eyebrows and scoffed. "Yeah, well, you're something different, too, but not in a good way." His eyes turned black.

"You're going to regret that," Robbie snarls. "Go home, Robbie. It did you no good to come here. Quit stalking me and my friends and just leave me alone." I turn to go inside. Robbie grabs my arm and squeezes, hard. "I'm not done with you, Tori. You **will** be mine." I yank my arm from his grip and shove him away from me. "Get off my property before I have you arrested, you mindless prick!" I hiss, and his eyes get wide before he turns and sprints to his car. I dart back inside and slam the door, locking it. With my back against the frigid glass, I sink to the floor and put my head in my hands. I consider going to the police but I know it will just make things worse. How am I going to go on, knowing Robbie will stop at nothing to cause me and Cat pain? I slowly pick myself up off the ground, and trudge upstairs to try and get some sleep.

The next morning, I woke up to a pounding headache. Just what I need while I'm at school. I roll over, falling out of bed in the process. I bang my knee and my elbow on my nightstand on the way down. _Ouch._ I sigh heavily and stand up and walk to my closet. I pick out a peach colored shirt with three-quarter length sleeves, and black skinny jeans. I close the door and look at my hair in the oval mirror hanging on the door. I decide to do a side braid and work on my hair. My phone chirps from its place on my cream colored nightstand, and I glance at the screen. Cat texted me.

 _Cat: hi Tori!_

 _Tori: hey Cat_

 _Cat: what's up_

 _Tori: nothing much, just woke up and got dressed._

 _Cat: ooh fun! Andre stayed the night last night and we slept on the couch. guess what he said?_

 _Tori: what?_

 _Cat: he told me he loves me!_

 _Tori: I knew he would one of these days. congrats!_

 _Cat: thank youuu_

 _Tori: hey I really need to talk to you but not over the phone_

 _Cat: well I'm getting a ride from Andre. is it girl stuff or is it about Robbie?_

 _Tori: it's about Robbie. Andre can listen, it's fine_

 _Cat: okay we'll come pick you up in 30, okay?_

 _Tori: sounds good to me_

 _Tori: bye_

 _Cat: kay kay byee_

I smile, idea my phone into my pocket, grab my school bag, and head downstairs. Trina is already at the kitchen table, eating hot oatmeal with cinnamon, blueberries, and strangely, Ritz crackers. I roll my eyes at my sister's weird ways, and go into the pantry to grab some strawberry Pop Tarts. I pull the toaster out of the bottom cabinet and plug it in. I unwrap the silver package surrounding the pastries and stick them in the toaster. I push the thingy down and head to the bathroom to put my contacts in. I take one look at my face and nearly shriek. I have a huge pimple on my nose! I look like Rudolph the reindeer! Gah! I throw the mirrored medicine cabinet door open and rummage for some concealer. I dab the sticky stuff onto my face, effectively covering the monstrous thing. I sigh, relieved, as my face looks much better now. I walk into the kitchen and retrieve my beloved Pop Tarts and head towards the door as I hear Andre honking from outside. "Hurry up and get to school, or you'll be late," I tell Trina, and close the door behind me. I wave to Cat and slide into the back seat. "Hi Tori!" "Hey Cat." "so why do you want to talk about Robbie?" "He came to my house last night and threatened me, saying he wasn't done with us and saying that he would make me his girlfriend whether I wanted to or not. It was pretty bad," I tell them. Cat looks scared, while Andre just looks angry. "We are going to get to the bottom of this, okay? He can't do this to you guys while I'm around," Andre reassures us. I nod, perking up a bit as we pull into the Hollywood Arts parking lot. The get-to-class bell rings and we head our separate ways. Well, Andre goes to his music writing class, and me and Cat head to Choir. Cat darts into the classroom as I bump into someone. I look up and my stomach sinks as I see Ryder Daniels. He glares at me. "Watch where you're going, Vega," he spits, and shoves me out of his way. Ha. Guess he's still a little irritated that I embarrassed him in front of the whole school at the Full Moon Jam. I wonder how many people still make fun of him for using girls to get good grades. I stride into the classroom and shut the door.

Today is a very important day in Sikowitz's class, because he's choosing someone to direct a play he wrote a couple of weeks ago. Me, Andre, and Cat talk excitedly while waiting for Beck and Jade.

Sikowitz chose me and Andre to direct the new play, and Cat is the lead. The play is about a girl who travels to New York City and falls in a sewage hole. When she comes out, she finds that the toxic sludge gave her the power to fly, and she gets put in a mental health institution and has to escape before they kill her. Really weird, but that's Sikowitz for you.


	4. Chapter 3: Love

Chapter 3

Tori P.O.V

Okay, so I thought I wouldn't worry about the whole Robbie situation, but I am. Terribly. My head is whirling like a hyper spin wash cycle in a washing machine. Cat invited me to spend the night at her house, and I agreed. Andre is coming to hang out too, but he probably won't spend the night. Or maybe he will. I don't know yet. Fourth period was so exciting today. I get to direct Sikowitz's play!

Cat and I walk together to Andre's car, a sleek black Audi Q7. I never knew Andre liked SUV's. I guess you learn something new every day. Andre is waiting for us in the driver's seat as we climb in. He starts the engine and makes his way over to Cat's house. I've never been to her house before. It's huge. Two stories but looks much bigger. "My parents aren't home. They're with my brother, so we have the place to ourselves," Cat says. She leads us inside and gives me the grand tour. There are five bedrooms (not counting the other rooms), four bathrooms, and the whole shebang. My jaw nearly hits the ground, I am so surprised. Cat sees how shocked I look and grins. "So you like it?" she says. "Totally."

Later that night, we're all sitting on the couch eating dinner, which Cat fixed. We had bow tie chicken alfredo. It was amazing, to say the least. We were just talking and laughing, enjoying each other's company when we heard a slamming noise come from the front door. Cat and I shared a confused look as Andre stood up and walked to the door. He looked in the peephole and his body got all rigid. Cat looked scared, and I held her tight.

"Andre?" I said, my voice wavering. He turned back to look at me. "Who is it?" Andre sighed. "It's Robbie." He finally said. I was about to say something when we heard more banging. "Let me in, Cat!" he snarled. "I know you're in there!" Cat locked the door, then took our hands and pulled us upstairs. "Go find somewhere to hide and stay quiet," she squeaked. She heads for a storage closet with a hidden trapdoor that was invisible unless you knew where to look. Andre went into an office and crouched under the desk. I headed to a guest bedroom with cabinets attached where the wall meets the ceiling, which you couldn't get into without a key. I found the key under the pillow and unlocked the cabinets. The space was tiny and cramped. I groaned and struggled to climb in. I locked it behind me and at that moment, I heard splintering as the door was kicked off its hinges, and Robbie was in the house.

I turned on my phone's flashlight and looked around my surroundings. I saw another keyhole and realized I could get into the other cabinets without being seen by Robbie, if he came in this room. I quietly unlocked the cabinets on either side of me, but they were still locked on the outside. Meaning Robbie couldn't get in unless he had a key, and I had found the only one. I slid the cabinet doors back so even if he did get in, I could make a quick escape and close them behind me.

I heard Robbie stalking through the living room, and china breaking as he threw the dirty dishes from the coffee table to the hardwood floor beneath it. I quickly pulled my phone out and texted Cat, praying she had her phone on either silent or vibrate. I guess she did, because she replied back.

 _Tori: hey_

 _Cat: is your phone on silent?_

 _Tori: yea is yours?_

 _Cat: yea it is. Tori I'm scared_

 _Tori: it will be okay. Where are you hiding?_

 _Cat: under a hidden trapdoor in the storage closet. You can't find it unless you know where to look_

 _Tori: that's good. We need to start a group chat with Andre_

 _Cat: Kay kay_

 _Andre: hey are you guys okay?_

 _Cat: yeah_

 _Tori: I'm good. Cat, did you know these cabinets have locks on them? I can get into the other ones from the one I'm in, but you can't get into it from the outside unless you have the key and there's only one._

 _Cat: yeah my parents had those custom made in case something like this happened._

 _Tori: genius_

 _Andre: your parents are paranoid_

 _Cat: very. Especially with my brother_

 _Tori: where are they, by the way?_

 _Cat: they're staying in Oregon for a month, I think. Or maybe longer_

 _Andre: aren't they worried about you?_

 _Cat: they don't really care_

 _Andre: that's what I'm for_

 _Tori: you guys are so cute_

 _Andre: I know_

 _Cat: yup_

 _Tori: do you guys hear that?_

 _Cat: yeah what is it?_

 _Andre: I think he's coming upstairs._

 _Tori: crap_

 _Cat: stay quiet you guys_

 _Andre: yeah don't make a sound_

 _Tori: oh no_

 _Tori: he's in the room I'm in_

 _Tori: help!_

 _Andre: calm down he can't get in the cabinets_

 _Cat: there's only one key and you have it_

 _Tori: good_

I put my phone down as I hear Robbie banging around in the guest bedroom. He stalks around in the other rooms and then I hear him go downstairs and open the door to the backyard. Cat's backyard is huge, so it will take Robbie about 15 minutes to search, 20 with the light off. I get an idea. I've seen Home Alone a million times and I wonder if I can do some of the same things.

 _Tori: I have an idea_

 _Cat: whaty_

 _Tori: you guys have seen home alone right?_

 _Andre: yeah why?_

 _Tori: do you think we can do some of the traps he set?_

 _Cat: maybe idk_

 _Andre: I think we can_

 _Tori: okay don't come out until I say to_

 _Andre: gotcha_

 _Cat: Kay kay_

I unlock the cabinet door and peek out. Nothing. I unfold myself from the small space and head into the hallway. I peek around the grand staircase and don't see Robbie anywhere. I tape a nail onto the floor so Robbie will step on it, because I know the shoes he wears are really thin, and he lifts his legs really high when he walks. Then I go into the kitchen and get some paint cans from the pantry. I do what that little kid does in the movie, attaching them to the staircase. Then I do the same thing with the little cars, getting them from the toy box in Cat's brother's room. I text Cat and Andre and tell them to come out. At that exact moment, I hear footsteps. Robbie's footsteps. Coming back towards the door. Cat and Andre appear at the top of the staircase. I wave wildly for them to go back where they were. I sprint up the stairs as Cat goes into the storage closet and Andre goes back into the office. I hide behind the wall connected to the staircase and wait for Robbie to come inside. I hear him yell as he steps on the nail. I cover my mouth to muffle my snicker. He begins walking towards the stairs.

I crouch low to the floor, and when I am sure Robbie is close enough, I heave a paint can over the banister. It grasps the rope firmly as it swings and catches Robbie in the forehead. I hear a sickening thud as he goes down, but I throw the other paint can just to be certain. Then I turn and scamper to the room with the locked cabinets. I scramble to unlock it as I hear Robbie cursing, then he stomps up the stairs. "Come on, come on, come on!" I whisper frantically under my breath. Finally the bolt turns and I climb into the cabinet and throw the lock. Apparently, I was just in time because Robbie stalks into the room. I hold my breath as I hear him come closer. I nearly shriek when he slams something hard into the cabinet. I guess he's hoping to break it like he did the door. I then realize that I need to make a decision. I take a deep breath and silently unlock the door as Robbie goes into a different room. I slide to the floor and tiptoe into the hallway.

I tap out a quick text to Andre and Cat and get closer to Robbie.

 _Tori: SOS! I'm going after Robbie_

 _Cat: stay there we're coming to help_

 _Andre: don't do anything stupid_

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Andre appear in the doorway of the office. Robbie sees him too, and advances him. "What are you doing, man?" Andre yells at him. "Where are they? I know they're here!" I make eye contact with Andre and raise my finger to my lips. Then I take a deep breath, and jump on Robbie's back. He jumps and starts flailing around. Then he realizes it's me and throws me off. I crash onto the banister and start to slide off. "Andre! Help me!" I shriek as I lose my balance. I reach out my arm and miraculously catch the bottom of the banister. I hang there like a piñata as Andre and Robbie scream at each other. Cat tries to get in the middle and Robbie grabs her around her waist and throws her against the wall. I heard a sickening crunch as her back hits the wall at full force.

"CAT!" Andre shrieks. Robbie sees his chance and punches Andre in the face. Andre spins around and kicks Robbie in the head. Robbie falls against the banister, unconscious. Andre pulls me back over the banister and sets me down. My arm is swollen and red where I caught the banister. Andre gently picks Cat off the floor and cradles her. I grab a blanket for Cat as he lays her down on the couch. I cover her with the blanket as Andre drags Robbie outside and dumps him on the ground. He then call 911. Moments later, we hear sirens screaming their way to Cat's house. We all ride in the same ambulance, seeing as Andre wouldn't leave Cat's side and I didn't want to be alone. When we arrive at the hospital, there is a flurry of activity. The nurse pumps me full of drugs and x rays my arm. I vaguely hear the doctors shouting for Cat's x rays as I'm laying in my hospital bed. Then, a few hours later, all is silent as I fall asleep.

When I wake up, Andre is sitting in the chair across from the bed, looking haggard. I blink at him sleepily and he looks up. "Hey, you're awake," he whispers. "Is she going to be okay?" I say, referring to Cat. Andre nods, looking like he's about to cry. "She broke her back and they don't know if it will heal right," he says, sniffing and wiping his eyes. Poor thing. And poor little Cat. She didn't deserve to have this happen to her. I look down and see my arm in a sling. Ugh. I hate slings. They're so annoying. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and slowly get up. Andre and I go to Cat's room to see how she's doing. She is awake when we walk in, and her face lights up when she sees us.

I hope Robbie goes to jail for this.


	5. Chapter 4: Forgiveness

Chapter 4: Forgiveness

Cat P.O.V

When I wake up, all I feel for a minute is excruciating pain radiating off my back. For the first time in my life, I feel true anger towards someone. Robbie. Just thinking of his name makes a flash of fury course through me. I have never felt this way before. When Tori and Andre walk into my room, I feel a smile creep onto my face despite my anger. "Aw, bear buddy," Andre whispers. He comes over to me and gently hugs me, not touching my back. I wince in pain, anyway.

A few minutes later, we are all relaxing (well, as much as I can relax with a broken back), when one of the secretaries comes in the room with a huge bouquet of flowers. "These are for a Tori Vega?" Tori and Andre exchange a look. Why would someone send flowers to her and not me or Andre?

Tori was examining the flowers when I noticed something white buried in the stems. "Tori? What's that?" I pointed to the white thing. She pulled it out and frowned. It was a greeting card with calligraphy on it. Tori read out loud, "Tori, I **will** find you. You are mine. You belong to me and no one else. I won't leave until I have you. RS." Andre frowned. "Who do we know that has those initials?" Tori shrugged. I realized something and my eyes grew wide. "Robbie Shapiro!" Both of them whipped around to look at me. They probably forgot I was even here. "Didn't he go to jail?" Tori whispered. Andre looked guilty. "Andre?" she prodded. "I-uh-just realized something. When the ambulance picked us up, I looked out the window, and—this didn't even register until now—I saw that the front yard was empty. Robbie wasn't there anymore. He had gotten up in the time that I threw him out and the ambulance came, and got away."

Tori got really mad then. "Why didn't you say anything, Andre? Huh? Are you working with him or something?" she yelled and pointed accusingly at him. "Why would I be working with him? All he wants to do is hurt Cat! You're the one he likes, so you must be working with him!" he shouted back. Tori opened her mouth to respond, but Andre cut her off. "And, besides, if you hadn't decided to be 'friends' with him, none of this would've happened!"

Tori's mouth fell open and angry tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "You're blaming this on me?" her voice cracked. Andre got to his feet. "Hell yeah I am! You're the one who brought him to meet us in the first place. And now look what happened! Cat broke her back, I broke my nose and have a black eye, and you got your arm broken!" "How was I supposed to know Robbie was gonna do that? He seemed like a really nice person when I met him!" Andre's nostrils were flaring. "Cat and I took one look at him and knew there was something wrong." Tori ran her hands through her tangled dark brown hair. "So you're saying I'm a bad judge of character?" Andre sighed angrily. "Maybe I am." "Wow, Andre, what a friend you are! I thought you weren't the type to judge, but clearly I was wrong!"

I finally decided to intervene. "Guys, stop! This isn't making anything better! Quit blaming each other for something that was no one's fault but Robbie's!" Andre heaved a sigh and looked at me. "Cat's right, Tori. I'm sorry I thought it was your fault." "I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry for yelling at you like that. It was uncalled for." I took a deep breath. I hate when people yell or get violent with each other, and Andre knows that.

Two days later, I am released from the hospital. They kept me longer than Tori and Andre because of my back. Which is in some pretty serious pain, even with the painkillers they gave me. Andre meets me at the entrance as I hobble slowly towards him. They didn't want to put me in a brace because I'm so small and all the braces were much bigger. So they settled for a bandage cinched tightly around my waist. In my opinion, that just made it hurt worse. Andre's eyes light up when he sees me and I smile slightly. He tells me to climb on his back so he can carry me. I wince as I jump on his back. He hurries to his car and gently puts me in the passenger seat.

When we get to my house, he takes me to the couch and lays me down. He then goes outside to make sure no one is hiding out there. I check to make sure he isn't looking, and then I painfully climb the stairs to my bedroom. Once inside, I open the closet door and climb to the top shelf, grimacing as my back pops. These shelves are very sturdy and can hold up to 400 pounds. I then close the door behind me and try to hold back the panic attack that is sure to happen. I hear the sliding glass door slide closed and Andre walking around. "Cat?" he goes into all the rooms downstairs. "Cat! Where are you?" More shuffling. "CAT!" He sounds more panicked now. He runs up the stairs and into my room. He looks under the bed and curses. He opens the door to the closet and looks up. Then he sees me on the top shelf and frowns. "Baby, what's wrong?" I don't answer, staring at nothing. Andre sighs and begins climbing the shelves to get to me. I scoot back as far as I can against the wall. "Baby, please come down from there. You'll just make your back worse." I slowly nod and painfully climb down. He grabs me under my armpits and swings me back down to the ground. I whimper as he sets me down. "I'm sorry, baby, I don't want to hurt you." He gestures for me to jump on his back, and I do. He carries me back to the couch and lays me down. He settles in next to me and slides his arm around my shoulders.

I go back to school today. I really don't want to go, but I have no choice. While me and Andre are driving to school, I keep looking back over my shoulder, frightened that Robbie may appear. Andre finally notices something is wrong. "Stop it, Cat. He can't get to us." "Yes, he can! Andre, he managed to escape being caught! He should be in jail right now, but he's not! We have no idea where he is right now. He could be waiting at school to ambush us, or lurking in my house to kill me when I get home." Andre reassures me, "We'll find him, Cat. I promise. We have to find him so we put him back in jail where he belongs. I know you're scared, and I know you don't feel safe, but please remember that I'm here for you and I will not let him come near you." I smiled slightly.

Later that day, Sikowitz put this weird movie on in class . It was called The Woman in Black or something like that. It was really creepy. I tuned out and played Color Switch on my phone when something screamed. My head snapped up, my heart starting beating faster—then skipped a beat—and I looked around for the source of the noise. It was just the movie. The lady wearing the black dress and veil tried grabbing onto the lawyer guy because he took her son's body out of the marsh.

Driving home from school was eerily silent. Andre and I kept looking out the window to see if anything was weird. He pulled into the driveway and shut the engine off. I stayed practically limp as he lifted me out of the seat and carried me into the house, setting me on the couch. "I'll get you something to drink," he said. I nodded and sank into the couch, breathing deeply. I pulled out my phone and composed a text to Tori, asking how she was doing. Before I could finish the text and send it, there was a distinct _thud_ from upstairs. I quickly sat up, wincing when my back popped. I grabbed my phone and texted Andre, even though he was in the next room.

Cat: Someone's upstairs

Andre: Are you sure?

Cat: Yes I just heard a thud from upstairs. Come with me to check it out

Andre: okay

Andre grabbed my hand and pulled me with him up the stairs. When we got to the second floor, we stopped and I cranes my head to listen. I heard faint footsteps above us, and I frowned. The only room above me was the attic bedroom, and no one has been in there in ages. Andre went into the office and began searching to see if Robbie or someone else was in there. I took a deep breath and climbed the stairs to the attic bedroom. I shuddered. It was just as creepy as I remembered. The four-poster bed with the canopy stood in the far corner of the spacious room. I hobbled to it and ran my hand over the dusty, ancient, flowered and striped bedspread. The wood was a rich dark mahogany, which still looked fresh and unused, although there was a distinct film of ashy dust on it. I continued to look around the room and halted when I saw something sticking out from under the bed. I pulled up the covers, and gasped. It was an old trunk with the initials worn off . I heaved the thing onto the bed and popped the clasp. A giant dust cloud flew into my face and prompted a sneezing fit. The first thing I saw was an old picture. It was a photograph of this room. There was a message on the wall written in what I hoped was red paint, but looked suspiciously like blood. _YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HER_ was written on the wall opposite the bed. I quickly glanced over but saw only the dark gray patterned wallpaper. But there was a small piece missing from the wall, and I saw a glimpse of red paint. Or blood. I frowned and headed towards it. I pulled slightly at the wallpaper and, as old as it was, it came right off. I yanked as much as I could get until the message from the photograph was gleaming, clear as day. Why did this look suspiciously like something from that movie I watched in Sikowitz's class? The Woman in Black? I shook my head to clear it. I turned back to the trunk and sifted through the junk, until I found some letters, addressed to my great-great-grandmother. On the inside, it said:

 _Henrietta:_

 _How dare you take my child away from me. Now she will grow up never knowing who her real mother is. Mia is my sunshine and glory and you think you can take that away from me? I think not._

 _You will pay for this._

 _-Jessica_

I frowned, but whipped around when I heard a slam. The door was shut and locked. I tried to open it, but it was no use.

I was trapped in here with the malevolent spirit of my great-great-grandmother.


End file.
